Venetian blind



March 12, 1 935. s. .1. FISHER 1,994,194

VENETIAN BLIND Filed Oct. 26, 1933 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Eli-5| WZQ A arch 12, 1935. 5, J, S E

VENETIAN BLIND Filed Oct. 26, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 T L O 1 5 5 on M.- a a W m 6 M w a 6 .Wd 0% a! 4 M A 1 7 O m 5 u M 4 5 4 A a g 5 0h a, m

March 12,- 1935.

s. J. FISHER 1,994,194

VENETIAN' BLIND Filed 001;. 26, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patent ed m 12, 1935 I l I I 994,194

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Samuel mama, D. 0.

Application October 26, 1933. Serial No. 695,352 '9 Claims. (01.156-17) This invention relates to venetian blinds, and. '7 lie in the openings between the sides of the more particularly, to improvements in the reinarcuate members 4 (see Figs. 4, 5, and 6). These forced head suspension means and operating members 4 are hollow metal casings having side mechanism of this type of blind. ,walls 8 and 9 with collars 10 projecting from their An object of the invention is to provide a'susside walls adjacent the registering openings 11. 5

pension bracket for all venetian blinds which will Near the bottom edges of the arcuate sections are adequately support the blind, hold the same in adelongated apertures 12 through which the upper justed position and from which the entire assemends of the tapes 3 are secured. bly may be readily removed. As shown in Figs. 6 and -9, it is preferable to Another object of the invention is the provireinforce the shanks of the screw hooks 7 by in- 10 sion of a bottom rail for. the blind which will casing them in a two piece separable collar 13 support the major weight at all times, and hold which has horizontal offset base portions 14 for the blind against movement when subjected to attachment by screws or the like to the window gusts of'wind. casement 6. These collars 13'are of great value 15 A still further object of the invention is the as they prevent lateral movement of the hooks 15 provision of means for raising or lowering the and prevent the shanks of the hooks from being blind by the actuation of a single cord. v bent or fractured. The collars serve a further A still further object is to so hold the blind p p s in as h y are pr vi d with an slats that they may be readily removed from the offset lug 15 which is screw threaded for the tapes and to insure easy assembly of the slats. reception of set screw 16. Retained in frictional 20 A further object is to provide means for closing engagementwith t e 111g 15 and pivoted on the set the slats by a tippling bar and for holding the screw 16 is a segment or latch 17 having teeth slatsrigidly in open or closed position. formed on its curved bottom section which, when In the drawings. Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the arcuate member 4 is in p i i n on the rod the blind supported in a window frame. 5, meshes with corresponding teeth 18 formed on 25 Fig. 2 is a side elevation taken on line 2-2 of the top of One Of the Side W s thereof. Fig. 1. As before described, the ends of the spaced ver- Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the bottom rail i al tap 3 are re ained in elongated slots 12. tak on line 3 3 f Fig. 2, The free ends of the tapes are attached to the Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the hanger bracket y P r n o t p y eparable fasteners 30 take on line H f Fig. 1, 19, or they may be stitched to the tapes,jor; as

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on line 5-5 of sh w in Fi 6. t n f the ta s m y be Fig, 1, Y closed loops through which a pin is inserted, 'said Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of the hanger pin P in throu h h l 1211 in the side walls 8 bracket and cord lock. and 9 of the member 4. The slats 2 of the venet- 35 Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail of one of the pultian blind are spaced and supported betweeiithe leys. tapes 3 by means of connecting strips or webs 20. Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line In manufacture, these connecting strips are woven 8-8 of Fig. 3, integrally into the vertical tapes. 40 Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the bracket hook In the double cord typ f v netian lind shown 40 per se. in Fig. 1, it is customary to pass down the operat- Fig. 10 is a front plan view of a venetian blind ing cords through slots formed in slats 2 where operated by a single cord. the vertical cords normally restrain the .slats and Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view of a modiprevent any relative movement thereof. However, 'fled form of the bottom rail. in the form of venetian blind shown in Fig. 10, 45

Figs. 12 and 13 are detail views of the tape which uses only a. single cord for lowering and suspending means. raising the slats, no cord openings are formed Referring to Fig. 1, reference numeral 1 detherein. Consequently, the slats could move if notes a conventional venetian blind having slats some means were not incorporat o l iv i 2 held in spaced relation by tapes 3 attached to the slats in place. This is accomplished by have. 50

and suspended from arcuate metallic members ing additional cross pieces 21 lie across the top of 4 which are supported in spaced relation on rod the slats and fastened to the webs 3 byseparable 5. Attached to and depending from the window fasteners such as snap hooks 22. frame or casement 6 are screw threaded hooks '7 Lying in the bottom loop of the tapes 3 a which encompass the horizontal rod 5. The hooks fairly thick bottom rail 25 which is slotted; 66

throughput its under surface for the reception of a retractable latch mechanism, shown in detail Figs. 3 and 11. Mounted in the sides of the window frame are vertical guides 26 which are composed. of two sheet metal sections 27 bent in the form of a U. As clearly disclosed in Fig. 8, the sections are retained at their bases against the window framing by a cast rack-bar 28, while the opposite ends of the sections 27 are spaced to form a vertical slot 29. The sections 27 are held in fixed position by bracket angle pieces 30 attached to the window frame and sections 2"! by any suitable securing means.

The bottom rail 25 for use with a double cord venetian blind is shown in Fig. 3. It will be seen that the end of the operating cords 31 pass down through. slots in the slats. passing through openings 32 in the bottom rail. After passing over pulley wheel 33, which is positioned in the groove formed in the bottom rail and is aflixed in the side walls of the inverted metallic trough member 34, the cords are afiixed to eye 35. This eye 35 is the end of reciprocal rod 36. Between the eye and the major portion of the rod a swivel 37 is formed so that no tilting or rotary movement imparted to the slats and bottom rail can be transmitted to rod 36. The rod is aligned through guide 38 attached to the trough 34 and through opening 39 formed in the end of the trough and the end of the bottom rail. Spaced from the end of the trough is a pin 40 passing through the shaft 36. Encompassing the rod and bearing on guide 38 and pin 40 is a coil spring 41. The outer end of the rod 36 terminates in an enlarged locking dog 42 provided with a beveled edge so that under the tension of the spring 41 the dog 42 is always in engagement with a tooth of the rack 28.

Thus it will be seen that when it is desired to raise the slats of the blind, pull is exerted on the free end of the operating cord 31. Through pulleys attached to shaft 5, the pull is transmitted to the bottom rail where it first withdraws the dog 42 from the teeth 28 against the tension of the spring 41. Continued pull on the cords elevates the slats through the medium of the tapes to the desired adjusted position. T mediately upon the pull being relieved on the operating cords, the springs 41 urge the dogs outward to engage the teeth 28. to thushold the slats in adjusted position.

To insure easy operation of the operating cords, it is preferable to mount pulleys 50 on the shaft 5 and to retain the pulleys in position by means of the strap loop 51 encircling the shaft. In assembly, the shaft 5 is inserted through the opening in one side of the arcuate member 4, after which the shaft is threaded through the pulley strap 51 and then' through the opposite side of the member 4. The openings 52 in the pulley strap receive the hook 7 allowing the rod 5 to rest in the bottom of the hook. The whole assembly is prevented from lateral movement by the side walls 8 and 9 of the arcuate member.

If desired, at one end of the shaft 5 a cord locking pulley 53, of slightly difierent construction, is slipped over the shaft 5 and held in position by collars 54 which may be secured to the shaft by screws or the like. The strap loop 55 is slotted on each side and a reduced ended roller 56 is journalled therein. The roller 56 is normally urged into contact with the cord, passing over thepulley 53 by the tension member 57 so that the cord is normally held lightly against the periphery of the pulley. when it is desired to raise or lower the blind, the operatin cord or cords may be pulled away from the pul ey 53, which will relieve the tension of the locking roller 56, and permit the cords to be raised or lowered.

The single cord type of venetian blind disclosed in Figs. 10 and 11 is hung on hooks 7 and shaft 5, as is the double cord type; the major differences between the two types being the bottom rail structure, the use of pulleys in the top of the side guides, and the use of only one continuous operating cord.

In the single cord type, the bottom bar is underslotted, as before mentioned, and mounted adjacent each end thereof is reciprocating hollow squared tubular member 60, the outer end of which is solid and beveled at 61 to engage the teeth 28 of the guide. To insure proper movement of the member 60, it is centered and supported on upper and lower sets of rollers 62 journalled in the sides of the bottom bar. The end opening 63 is fitted with a separable bushing 64 having a squared opening 65 through which member 60 slides. To constantly urge the beveled end 61 into engagement with the rack teeth 28, a coil spring 66 is fastened to the member 60 and the roller journal plate 67. I

Directly behind the beveled tip 61, the member 60 is cut away and a pulley 67 journalled in the sides of the cut away section. Adjacent the top of the guide 26 is mounted a pulley 69, spaced from but at the same height as pulley 68 on the end portion of the shaft 5.

The single operating cord 70 passes over pulleys 68 and 69, down the guide 26, under. pulley 67, through the squared tubular member '60, over to and through the opposite latching mechanism, up the opposite guide and terminates and is anchored at 71 in the top of the guide.

Thus, when the cord '70 is pulled, the latches in the bottom rail are disengaged from the latch teeth and the blind may be raised to anydesired position. Immediately upon releasing the cord, the latches engage the latch teeth under the tension of the coil springs. To lower the blind from its adjusted position, it is merely necessary to pull downward on the cord 70 a slight' degree to release the latches, whereupon the weight of the blind bearing upon the latches will keep them in retracted position permitting the blind to be lowered to any desired position.

As indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 6, a semi-circular filler block or bar may be. fastened to the top of the rod 5 to fill in the greater portion of the space between the rod and the window frame. This bar or block is not only ornamental in appearance, but tends to eliminate the light rays coming into the room at this point.

While the slats 2 may be tippedor turned by pulling on the tapes 3, it is preferable to attach a tippling device to the end of the rod 5 so that the slats may be readily turned and lowered to insure that they will be held in their adjusted positions. This tippling or turning device may take the form of an elliptical or circular block fitted over the end of the rod 5. Operating cords 86 pass over the top of the block 85 and are fastened on opposite sides thereof so that a down pull on either of the operating cords will turn the slats to either the right or left. Inasmuch as the bar 5 turns, and as this bar is in frictional engagement with the hooks, it will be retained in adjusted position. Furthermore, as the rod 5 turns it carries with it the arcuate members 4, the rack teeth 18 of which,

meshing with the teeth on the depending lug 17, positively insures the retention of the blind in any adjusted position. The spring surrounding set screw 16 bears against the pivot point of 17 and thus prevents accidental movement of the lug.

Provision may be made for retaining the slats in alignment with relation to the guides 26 by afflxing metallic extensions 87 to some of the slats. These extensions ride in the vertical slot 29 of the guide and prevent the blind from billowing when subjected to gusts of wind.

What I claim is:

1. A venetian blind, including a horizontal supporting bar, suspension means therefor, a plurality of spaced arcuate members positioned transvers'ely on said bar, vertical tapes attached to the outer ends of said arcuate members, slats held between said tapes, spaced vertical guides adjacent the ends of said slats, a bottom bar at the lower portion of said tapes, said bottom bar having a retractable latch in each end section thereof extending into said vertical guides.

2. A venetian blind of the character described in claim 1, wherein the retractable latches comprise hollow spring projected tubes passing through bushings set in the ends of said bottom rail, the said tubes terminating in enlarged sion means comprising depending spaced open.

hooks, hollow arcuate members encompassing said rod and severally embracing said open hooks, reinforcing collars surrounding the shank portion of each hook, an offset formed on each collar and depending lugs pivotally connected to said respective collars and contacting with the arcuate portions of said arcuate members.

5. 'In a venetian blind,'a horizontal supporting rod, suspension means therefor, said suspension means comprising depending open hooks, hollow arcuate members encompassing said rod and embracing said hooks severally, and depending slat supporting tapes detachably secured to the said arcuate members.

6. In a venetian blind of the character described, including a horizontal top supporting rod, spaced transverse members attached to said rod, horizontal openings formed in the extremities of said transverse members, spaced vertical slat supporting tapes detachably secured through the said openings of the transverse members and means for raising and lowering said slats.

7. In an adjustable blind of the character described adapted to be hung in a window frame, comprising a horizontal rod mounted at the top of said window frame, depending transverse parallel tapes suspended from said rod, a plurality of normally horizontal slats retained between said parallel tapes, and open guideways attached to the sides of said window frame; means for raising and lowering said slats comprising a cord anchored adjacent the top of one of said guideways, a pulley located at the top of the other guideway, said cord passing downward of said one guideway and outward from the bottom thereof, through the lowermost slat into the opposite guideway and upward therethrough to and over said pulley whereupon tension placed on the unanchored end of said cord will raise the said lowermost slat.

8. In a blind for use in window frames, including a horizontal rod hung from the top of said window frame, vertical guideways attached to the sides of said window frame, spaced ver- I tical parallel tapes suspended from said horizontal rod, spaced slats held between said tapes and a bottom rail in the lower portion of said tapes; retractable latches contained by said rail engaging and sliding in said guideways and means for raising said slats and rail, said latches being positively'retracted by operation of said raising means.

9. In a venetian blind, a horizontal supporting rod, spaced transverse members attached to said rod, horizontal openings formed in the extremities of said transverse members, spaced vertical tapes detachably secured through the said openings of the transverse members, spaced slat supporting cross-tapes secured to said vertical tapes and parallel guard cross-tapes spaced slightly above said supporting tapes and. detachably aihxed to said vertical tapes.

SAMUEL J. FISHER. 

